U.S. Rep. Steve Womack gave a brief account of his first months in the House of Representatives, discussed the national deficit and addressed the looming redistricting of Arkansas' four congressional districts Friday at the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday Luncheon.

Womack, a Russellville native, said the reception to his speech was somewhat somber, which he said is to be expected.

"My message is somewhat sobering, so I think by its design put people in a somber mood," Womack said following his address. "These are difficult times we are in. They're going to get progressively worse unless we do the right thing. It was not supposed to be a pep rally or celebration. There's nothing really to celebrate when you're having to cut government and some very worthwhile programs along the way."

Womack said he thinks the voters understand that the cuts are necessary.

"At the end of the day, I think people get it," Womack said. "This is a sophisticated group. I attended a national media event Wednesday with the speaker and the majority leader and I said to them that I had gone back home and found my electorate to be alert and sophisticated to the issues. And they're growing impatient. They want something done about the fiscal plight of this country. We're broke. We're borrowing 42 cents for every dollar we spend and it's not sustainable."

Womack said the cause of the nation's deficit is the result of the country being too reliant on the federal government.

"Over time, we've become too dependent on our federal government to do some of the things - now notice I said some because there are some great programs out there - to do things for us," Womack said. "To underwrite our risks. To take away our problems even though they may be self-inflicted problems. And at the end of the day, this is what got us a deficit in 2011 of $1.6 trillion."

Womack said during the week of the Continuing Resolution Debate, he and his colleagues worked past midnight every night and pulled one "all-nighter," but the end result was $100 billion in cuts.

"Tempers flared," Womack said during his speech. "People were exhausted. We were tired, but we were committed, and on Friday we went in for our first votes at 9:15 in the morning and didn't leave the floor until 4:40 Saturday morning to catch a flight back to my district. That's how committed we are to do this work."

Womack answered a few questions from the audience, including one concerning congressional redistricting. He said he had seen several proposed redistricting plans, including one that would include Washington County in the fourth district. He said one of the two most likely proposals to be considered included Marion, Boone, Johnson and Franklin counties being redistricted. The other proposal would redistrict Pope and Newton counties and possibly Madison, Carrol or Johnson Counties. Womack speculated that Pope would end up in the second district if redistricted.

Womack said the desire of people in the county to remain in the third district is obvious.

"I'd like to keep it," Womack said following his speech. "Unfortunately we're saddled with losing 93,000 people. There's no part of my district that I don't love to represent. But 93,000 people is a lot of people. Politics are going to get involved in it. I don't really have a say in it. Mike Ross has much more of an influence because it's a Democratic process, and he's the only Democrat in Congress. He's the old timer. He's the veteran member. But gosh, it's a lose-lose deal for me. But whatever I'm left with, I'm going to represent them to the best of my ability."

Mayor Bill Eaton said he agreed "wholeheartedly" with Womack that painful cuts are necessary in order to make progress. Eaton also voiced a desire for Pope County to remain in its current district.

"I'm excited about having Steve Womack as our representative, and I'm certainly hoping and praying that we stay in the third district," Eaton said. "This is the district that we're most closely aligned with in every respect, so that's my preference."

Womack opened his speech on a lighter note, pointing out he likely still holds the highest pass completion percentage for the Arkansas Tech football team.

"Nobody knows that, but I was one-for-one," he said. "I was holding for an extra point and the ball sailed by. I fumbled the snap and rolled out and threw a pass that was complete. I never threw an interception or an incompletion. Perfect passing record. Nobody in Tech history is ever going to beat that. You'll have to take it from me because it's been a long time ago, and nobody will remember it."